Sojourner Truth Bust Debuts
April 30, 2009
by Judy Silver
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Sculptor Artis Lane cited this quote of Sojourner Truth as one of her inspirations in creating a new bust of the women’s suffrage leader, according to the LA Times.
If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, those women together ought to be able to turn it back and get it right side up again. And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.
The bust will be on permanent display in Emancipation Hall, becoming the first sculpture of an African American woman in the U.S. Capitol building. It was funded by a ten-year effort of the National Congress of Black Women.
At the unveiling of the bust, First Lady Michelle Obama said:
I hope that Sojourner Truth would be proud to see me, a descendant of slaves, serving as the First Lady of the United States of America… And just as many young boys and girls have walked through this Capitol — I see them now, and they see the bust of suffragists and hear the stories of the struggles of women, what they had to endure to gain the right to vote — now many young boys and girls, like my own daughters, will come to Emancipation Hall and see the face of a woman who looks like them.
Secretary Hillary Clinton, who along with Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee co-sponsored the legislation for the memorial, said:
Sojourner’s legacy – it is all around us… We’re here because of barriers she challenged and fought to tear down, and paths she helped to forge and trod alone. So we honor her memory and we pay tribute to her life’s work. And we recommit ourselves to fighting to end injustice and inequality wherever it remains. … She lived long enough to see the end of slavery, but not the establishment of voting rights for women. The 19th Amendment would not be passed until 37 years after her death. But today she takes her place in this Capitol, and we are the better for it.
Was any person ever better named? Think about it. She was a Sojourner of truth, by truth and for truth. And her words, her example, and her legacy will never perish from this earth, so long as men and women stand up and say loudly and clearly: We hear you echoing down through the years of history. We believe that your journey is not yet over, and we will make the rest of that journey with you.
Amen!
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Typical–Michelle Obama makes it all about her. The contrast between her comments and Hillary’s is stark.
I take issue with Michelle’s claim that she is “serving” as First Lady. Nothing she does serves anybody but herself and her narcissist husband.
Michelle and HRC’s were respectively appropriate.
Michelle, because as a Black women, Sojourner Truth would be especially proud to see Michelle, a descendant of slaves, serving as the First Lady of the United States of America
HRC, because she has been a long-time champion of women’s rights.
Well done, by both!
I caught a brief moment of the event on C-Span. Cicely Tyson was performing the apocryphal “Ain’t I A Woman” speech (possibly fabricated or at least heavily embellished by Frances Dana Gage, acc’g to biographies by historians Nell Painter and Carleton Mabee & Susan Mabee Newhouse).
So I’m glad Judy Silver posted here with some relevant quotes and links.
This serves {{ahem}} as a good companion piece to Anna Belle’s April 27th post about Fanny Lou Hamer for NA’s American Women’s History series. I hope the relative few comments at both pages doesn’t mean a lack of interested readers.
I agree w/ Boston Nell that the word ‘serving’ seems misplaced. However, the underlying problem is with the role of any/all First Ladies, not just Michelle Obama. In this case, M.O. simply might be following an unfortunate pattern set by several print and digital encyclopedias and similar “informational” sources/services.
I can’t blame M.O. any more than I can hold her responsible for people’s misuse of “snark” instead of sark, “disinterested” instead of uninterested, “epiphany” (Greek for manifestation of divine being, n.b. Jesus Christ) instead of a mere mortal’s revelation, breakthrough, idea etcetera. As Eliza Doolittle says (“Show Me!” from My Fair Lady), “Oh words words words! I’m so sick of words. I get words all day through, first from him, now from you, is that all you blighters can do!?”
Instead of a link to Julie Andrews who is still singing in my head, here’s one to a PR on the NCBW event honouring Sojourner Truth. It gave me more details I wanted than the NCBS’s own site.
Btw, May 18th is celebrated as Sojourner Truth Day in Battle Creek, Michigan. It’ll be another opportunity to mention her to our friends.
Maybe Sojourner Truth would have been proud to see a black first lady. Seems to me she would have been prouder, though, of one who didn’t spend a campaign asserting how she’d just stay at home and leave the important stuff to the men, while denigrating the woman who was exerting herself to earn the top job and accomplish something besides photo ops.
They didnt post her full statments but she did say that she hoped Truth would be pround to see hiliary and nancy as well.
Hear hear, Sister of Ye! No doubt Sojourner Truth would have been proud to see a black first lady–just not the one who sniped that a woman who couldn’t take of her own house had no business in the White House. The same woman whose candidacy Michelle would “have to think about” supporting if her husband failed to secure the nomination.
Historically, there have been First Ladies who “served” (Eleanor Roosevelt comes to mind), but MO ain’t one of ‘em. Then again, she’s probably doing us all a favor if she keeps her gaffe-prone mouth shut, stimulates the economy by shopping at J. Crew, tends the arugula garden, and walks the damn dog.
Why must a moment and tribute as great and fitting as this be turned into yet another anti-Obama (be it Barack or Michelle) vent? I speak not of the article, but the comments. If you’re such a fan of Soujourner Truth and her message (I most definitely am), why not honor it by not using it as another petty greivance against the Obamas. Surely that is not her message. For once, get over yourselves and let something like this be and not use it for your own misguided opinions.
Being a first lady is not insignificant. I thought Michelle and Hillary both made lovely statements.
This is a wonderful tribute and reading this made me very happy.
“For once, get over yourselves and let something like this be and not use it for your own misguided opinions.”
Kevin’s returned and brought other abusive, misogynists with him.
This site wants to be inclusive to men. Does that have to mean any man?
Tears came to my eyes when Michele spoke. And I read Hillary’s speech during the unveiling-so proud that she and Sheila Jackson-Lee (OH) co-sponsored this bill with bi-partisan support(Boehner and Mitch McConnell!).
That’s Hillary’s bi-partisan skill,her friendship with the amazing Jackson Lee and Michelle’s pride and sensitivity to this historic moment. A great moment.
Yeah, Sis, I guess any opinion that “he who pees standing up” disagrees with is misguided.
While I understand the New Agenda’s desire to welcome the comments of men sympathetic to the cause, I sense they are far too tolerant of misogynists posing as feminists (Obama in a nutshell).
OT, but did anyone take note of Obama’s response to a question regarding his campaign his promise to sign the Freedom of Choice Act as his first order of business as President in last night’s presser? More of the same nonsense he spouted in the Rick Warren forum about women needing to consult their menfolk and their pastors before making decisions about the autonomy of their bodies. And according to MS. Magazine, “This Is What a Feminist Looks Like”?
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